Shuttle.



W. W. STEARNS.

SHUTTLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1910.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

WILLARD W. STEARNS, 0F HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Application filed June 2'7, 1910. Serial No. 569,050.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD W. S'rnAaNs, a citizen of the United Statesof Amerlca,

and resident of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inShuttles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to parts comprised in and pertaining to the eyemember of a self threading shuttle for looms.

For the weaving, especially of worsted goods, the bobbin thread or yarnwhich is of a rough character has the effect of cutting through the wallof the eye in a short time, making the frequent replacement of the eyemember a necessity.

An eye member composed of a vitreous substance, such as porcelain, hasbeen found to withstand the destructive cutting effect of the bobbinthread delivered through the eye, but owing to the frangible characterof the porcelain, such eye member is one which is liable to be quicklybroken as the result of the shocks and strain to which the shuttle issubjected.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an eye member for aself threading loom shuttle which is so constructed and formed as tocomprise means for reinforcement against the breakage by shocks on theshuttle. And a further object of the invention is to so construct theeye member and combine the same in a recess in the shuttle therefor thatit may be easily inserted, reliably retained in its place during use,and easily replaced as occasion therefor at infrequent intervals mayrequire.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawingsand is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the end portion of aloom shuttle in which the improved eye member is provided. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional view through the same on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa cross section on line 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of theeye member as seen at opposite ends.

In the drawings, A represents the body of a loom shuttle having alongitudinally extending thread passage 0, therein which is incommunication with the delivery opening through the eye member B whichhas its location as usual in the side of the shuttle and in relation tothe cut or cleft b in the upper portion of which is a metallic threadingdevice C comprising prongs, tongues or projeotions formed from a singleblank of sheet metal and effective for securing the guidance of thethread from the bobbin to its engagement into the delivery eye,-suchthreading device constituting no part of the present invention but theone so far as here shown being that which is very extensively used inthe well known Draper loom shuttle.

The side wall of the thread passage is provided with a recess (ltherethrough sli htly above the base f of such passage, and the innerside of the wall of the thread passage is made with a recess f. V

The integrally formed eye member is understood as composed of a vitreoussubstance such as porcelain comprising an annular portion 9 having theopening 6 aforementioned, at its top and leading through the wall of theeye to the delivery passage thereof, such annular portion being engagedwith a comparatively tight fit in the said recess (1.

The eye member has at its inner end an integrally formed downwardlyextending reinforcing flange h, the location of which is diametricallyopposite the thread entrance opening 7) and where the liability ofbreakage is ordinarily the greatest. The said eye member, moreover, isprovided with sidewlse extensions or flanges z i which have positionsand a reinforcing support for the eye member in the aforementionedrecess f at the internal wall of the thread passage, against the surfaceof which a layer of cloth or the like is provided.

The eye member may be inserted and engaged in its place as representedin the drawings by being dropped down into the thread passage at a timewhen the skeleton like thread guide C is temporarily removed and thenforced outwardly into the through recess (Z and with its flanges 2' 2'to a close fit in the internal recess f while the reinforcing flange hat the bottom engages the internal surface of the wall of the threadpassage below the recess cZ.

As manifest, the flanges h and i serve to prevent outward displacementof the eye member and also prevent any rotative action of the latterwhich might result in improperly altering the location of the threadentrance opening 5 for the certain guidance therethrough of the bobbinthread; and inward displacement of the eye member is prethereof farthestfrom the bobbin.

Attention is here, again, particularly called to the layer n of a moreor less yielding or compressible material such as textile fabric orelectric tape employed between the face of the flange extension of theeye memher and the inner surface of the side wall of the thread passage,so that the flange comprising portion of the eye member is between andin close relation to what is in effect cushioning materials at both theinner and outer sides thereof; and the provision of such slight yieldingor compressible material,that is the aforesaid small leather block D andthe cloth or tape layer n,is effective to relieve the fracturing strainwhich would otherwise be brought against the eye member at the times ofthe contraction of the shuttle body which is produced thereon when theshuttle enters, and is pinched by, the shuttle box.

The layer a of fabric or other suitable compressible material ispreferably cemented to the face of the flange portion of the eye memberso as to be carried with and as a part of the eye member, making careunnecessary in the insertion of the eye memher in its place that thecushioning layer is brought to its proper interposition. This eyemember, as usage thereof has proven, is serviceable for use in loomshuttles especially carrying thread for worsted weaving, withstandingthe sawing or severing effect of the comparatively rough threaddelivered therethrough and is not subject to fracture with anywhere nearthe frequency of eyes made of porcelain not having the structuralfeatures shown and particularly pointed out.

I claim 1. A shuttle having a thread passage in the end portion thereof,the side wall of which is provided with a recess leading therethroughabove the base of said thread passage, and an eye member composed ofvitreous material comprising an annular portion having an opening at itstop leading to the passage of the eye and adapted to be fitted in saidrecess and having at its inner end an integrally formed reinforcingflange to lie within the Wall of the thread passage, a layer ofcushioning material between said flange and the thread passage wall anda piece of compressible material removably fitted in the base of thethread passage, and engaging the flange of the eye member.

2. An eye member for a self threading

